Associated Press

The Maine Office of the Attorney General disclosed a data breach affecting the Associated Press Stylebook between July 16–22, 2023, with unauthorized access leading to the potential exposure of Social Security Numbers (SSNs) and other personal information of 224 individuals, including two Maine residents. The breach involved sensitive personally identifiable information (PII), raising concerns over identity theft, financial fraud, or misuse of compromised data. While the exact method of intrusion remains undisclosed, the incident underscores vulnerabilities in systems handling high-value editorial or subscriber databases. The AP, a global news organization, faces reputational risks and potential regulatory scrutiny, particularly under state data protection laws like Maine’s, which mandate breach notifications. The exposed data primarily SSNs heightens the severity, as such information is a prime target for cybercriminals. No evidence of ransomware or large-scale operational disruption was reported, but the leak of customer-associated PII aligns with patterns seen in targeted data exfiltration attacks.

Source: https://www.maine.gov/agviewer/content/ag/985235c7-cb95-4be2-8792-a1252b4f8318/bb8594ec-9e53-41ff-b6e1-1284d3941b8e.shtml

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/associated-press

"id": "ass043091825",
"linkid": "associated-press",
"type": "Breach",
"date": "7/2023",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '224',
                        'industry': 'Media/Publishing',
                        'name': 'Associated Press Stylebook',
                        'type': 'Organization'},
                       {'customers_affected': '2 (Maine residents)',
                        'industry': 'Legal/Regulatory',
                        'location': 'Maine, USA',
                        'name': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General',
                        'type': 'Government'}],
 'data_breach': {'number_of_records_exposed': '224',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': 'Yes',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['Social Security Numbers',
                                              'personal information']},
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2023-09-08',
 'description': 'The Maine Office of the Attorney General reported a data '
                'breach involving the Associated Press Stylebook. The breach '
                'involved unauthorized access from July 16 to July 22, 2023, '
                'affecting 224 individuals, including 2 residents from Maine. '
                'Social Security Numbers and other personal information were '
                'potentially compromised.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['Social Security Numbers',
                                 'other personal information'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'Potential'},
 'references': [{'date_accessed': '2023-09-08',
                 'source': 'Maine Office of the Attorney General'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': 'Maine Office of the '
                                                       'Attorney General'},
 'title': 'Data Breach Involving Associated Press Stylebook',
 'type': 'Data Breach'}